"paper plates"

Darryl stares at the dinner dish
Painted with the remains of the evening meal
Splatters of warm gravy try to pool
A field of bread crumbs to navigate

Flatware at odds with the local customs
Knife and fork criss-crossed.. bad luck
The glazed over tan and rust Mayan pattern
Surrounded by a ring of gold leaf

Darryl accidentally pushes the plate off the table
And watches as it falls to the floor
The noise makes him flinch
He inspects the shards

Some are very large, some are very small
Some are fine like dust
He takes one last drink from his cup
And wanders off to find the broom

The gravy sees its chance to escape

Darryl ties the garbage bag tight
And puts away the broom
But something under foot
Makes him sweep the floor again

He reaches for the box of tissue
He can feel the sneeze coming on
The noise is quite familiar
As he blows his nose

He tosses the tissue into the new garage bag
And runs the water into the sink for the other dishes
He watches the water turn murky for just a moment
Air and rust and fluoride briefly reunite

The water is good and hot
The soap chases grease away
But he lets the dirty pan soak
While he wipes his hands on a wet dishtowel

Maybe he should just use paper plates from now?

Darryl puts on the kettle
And waits for it to boil
Glances at his fingernails
Taps his bare feet on the tiled floor

He looks up
The ceiling fan could use some dusting
The light bulb seems a little dull
Misses the cobwebs in the dark corners

Darryl turns off the stove
The kettle's whistle dies away
Tosses a bag into his cup
Rubs a spoon with his shirt

And slowly stirs the tea around and around

He sets his cup down on the table
Spills a little down the side
Adds a ring to the others
Under the cup

Darryl fluffs the pillows on the couch
Sits down and smiles
Soaks in the comfort, puts his feet up
And remembers his tea

He leans forward and picks up the cup
Wipes his fingers with his sleeve
Blows on the cups brim then takes a sip
Still too hot to drink

Turns on the TV
A documentary all about radio waves
We can't see them but they're all around us
Invisible to the naked eye

Darryl changes the station
Listens to some soft relaxing music
And closes his eyes